Snow to usher early ski season

Updated 10:00 pm, Thursday, November 9, 2006

Two Washington ski areas announced they'll likely fire up their chairlifts next week after the season's first major snowfall blanketed the Cascades Friday.

Crystal Mountain ski area is planning to open Wednesday with four chairlifts, while Mt. Baker hopes to open Thursday, perhaps with all six of its lifts running.

"Some of the forecast models we're watching look like we could get 50 to 60 inches by Monday," said Tiana Enger, Crystal marketing director. "We could be skiing powder up to our eyeballs by opening day."

Snow began falling heavily on the Cascades Friday morning, scarcely more than a day after a "Pineapple Express" storm system finished pounding the region with rain. Many rivers in Western Washington began dropping below flood stage Thursday.

By noon Friday, Crystal was reporting 10 inches of snow at its base area and 14 inches at its upper elevations.

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Baker had accumulated 13 inches of snow at its base by 1 p.m. Friday with heavy snowfall continuing.

"We're expecting at least another two feet over the weekend, with continued snowfall next week," said Gwyn Howat, Baker marketing director. "The current weather pattern, combined with favorable forecasts, are allowing us to make these plans. We could possible be opening both our base areas."

If they happen, both openings would be earlier than usual, but nowhere near the earliest. Last year, for example, Crystal opened on Nov. 4 and in years past, Baker has opened as early as late October.

Operators of other ski areas around the Cascades were waiting for bigger accumulations before announcing any plans.

"I'm grinning from ear to ear my friend," said Chris Rudolph, marketing manager at Stevens Pass. "I'm leaning on our manager to give us an opening date I can tell everybody. But I think we want to watch this play out over the weekend."

About eight inches of snow had piled up at Stevens by noon, and Rudolph said it was still snowing hard. Nine or 10 inches of snow had accumulated on Snoqualmie Pass by early Friday bafternoon. But Summit at Snoqualmie marketing boss Guy Lawrence said none of the four areas up there would be opening "in the next few days. But obviously we are watching the storm closely."

Lesser amounts had accumulated at White Pass and Mission Ridge. Mission typically does not open until the first week of December. But it was snowing hard there yesterday too, and the area's snowmaking equipment was adding to that, so operators said the area might well open sooner.

North of the border, Whistler-Blackcomb had previously announced a Nov. 23 opening, but those plans could change as well. About two feet of snow had fallen in the upper areas of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains by yesterday afternoon.

"After this weekend's storm, we certainly could open earlier. It's crazy up here. It's very exciting," said Whistler spokeswoman Tabetha Boot.

Serious amounts of snow could fall next week if forecasts prove true. Ski Northwest meteorologist Larry Schick issued a powder alert yesterday that cited the "potential for three to eight feet of snow in the next two weeks."

At any rate, Crystal expects to open the lifts Chinook Express, Rainier Express, Green Valley, and Discovery on Wednesday. Enger said operators hoped to get all the area's lifts running by next weekend.